mjaviem wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 8:34 pmPlease, tell me what is that that is reborn, that re-arises after having ceased completely? I would say only birth can occurRambutan wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 8:30 pmAny essential thing identified as a self (atman) would by definition be unconditioned, and therefore could not be what is reborn. In other words, if is precisely because nowhere can a self be identified, that rebirth can occur.mjaviem wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 8:04 pm I think the only thing that can be re-born is a self, the essence of that thing and, since the Buddha taught there is no self there can not be re-birth, only arising (and ceasing) but not re-arising since what ceased did it for good, only new things can arise (according to specific conditions). Re-arising is only for someone who believes in selves, that things have selves that keep going on after cessation.
What Buddha taught was that everything arises as the result of previous conditions. It’s like series of chain-reactions.
You can think of it like frames on a strip of movie film, if each frame provided the cause for the next frame to occur.
What arises? The illusory experience of a continuous self.
Even right now, what you experience is purely the result of previous events.
Physiologically, The air you just inhaled went through your lungs and put oxygen into your blood. But the term “you” is used here as a matter of convenience. Even if your lungs were examined under a microscope, no “you” would be located there.
Psychologically, every thought creates the conditions for the next thought to arise.
If one argues that there is a self which is aware that thoughts come and go, or is aware of the body changing, one would have to establish where that self is located, or what it is. All that can be said is that there is awareness. Awareness cannot be refuted.
If one asks, “who possesses this awareness?” that simply presupposes that a “self” is required but doesn’t explain why. To the contrary, it is awareness that precludes the illusion of self. The self cannot be shown to exist anywhere, but awareness cannot be refuted.